During our 30 years of working in the Kawartha Lakes we have approved over $45,000,000 in loans to our local small businesses. This in turn, has resulted in 6000 jobs being created or maintained. We have responded to over 12,000 business inquiries and have facilitated literally hundreds of projects and have helped to create a significant number of opportunities and partnerships across our community and beyond.
Through our relationship with FedDev Ontario, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP), we have also provided over $6,000,000 in localized funding that has supported business and strategic planning, skills development, access to capital, infrastructure improvements, labour market advancement opportunities, support of the expansion of Broadband/ high-speed Internet in Eastern Ontario, community capacity-building programs, youth internship opportunities and many more local and regional community-based initiatives. For smaller projects, we can also look to provide direct assistance through our Community Economic Development (CED) support program.
Our Board of Directors brings an extensive range of experience and an understanding of what it takes to be successful in operating a small business, as most are currently business owners or have run their own enterprises in the past. They also live in our communities, knowing what makes a difference and makes each unique—and yet all recognize the importance of the overall well-being of the City of Kawartha Lakes and its small business community. They have often provided their input directly with a KLCFDC client as well as in serving with numerous other community-based groups.
With the information accessible at our business centre office in Kent Place Mall in Lindsay, the answers you need and the process you may require are available to you on a walk-in or by appointment basis. We invite you to e-mail, call or visit us and start the ball rolling on making your idea a reality.
Our history as the delivery agent for the recently concluded, Ontario Self-Employment Benefits Program means we have experience in getting new business ideas off the ground and we can work with you every step of the way. With the information accessible at our business centre office in Kent Place Mall in Lindsay, the answers you need and the process you may require are available to you on a walk-in or by appointment basis.
We have also aided in the development of business plans and often facilitated opportunities for the partnerships and associations necessary to succeed. We work with all levels of government to help in meeting the needs of the City of Kawartha Lakes; sometimes providing financial assistance but also in strategic planning, business consultation and in providing the necessary connections or sources of programming that can help make a project happen.
The area is located approximately 100 kilometres northeast from the (downtown core of the) City of Toronto and encompasses the following boundaries; Highway 12 to the west, Lake Scugog and The Region of Durham to the South, Highway 35/115 and Peterborough County to the east and Muskoka and Haliburton County to the north.
While we are primarily servicing our municipal area, we continue, on occasion to service areas close by, where there are rural communities that could use our help. If you believe that the KLCFDC can be of assistance to you-regardless of where you are located, please do not hesitate to contact us!